Judah’s Apostasy

1 Now the word° of the LORD° came° to me saying°,
2 “Go° and aproclaim° in the ears° of Jerusalem°, saying°, ‘Thus° says° the LORD°, “I remember° concerning you the Ibdevotion° of your youth°, The love° of your betrothals°,cYour following° after° Me in the wilderness°, Through a land° not sown°.
3 “Israel° was aholy° to the LORD°, The bfirst° of His harvest°.cAll° who ate° of it became° guilty°; Evil° came° upon them,” declares° the LORD°.’”

4 ¶ Hear° the word° of the LORD°, O house° of Jacob°, and all° the families° of the house° of Israel°.
5 Thus° says° the LORD°, “aWhat° injustice° did your fathers° find° in Me, That they went° far° from Me And walked° after°bemptiness° and became° empty°?
6 “They did not say°, ‘Where° is the LORD° Who abrought° us up out of the land° of Egypt°, Who bled° us through the wilderness°, Through a land° of deserts° and of pits°, Through a land° of drought° and of Ideep° darkness°, Through a land° that no° one° crossed° And where° no° man° dwelt°?’
7 “I brought° you into the afruitful° land° To eat° its fruit° and its good° things°. But you came° and bdefiled° My land°, And My inheritance° you made° an abomination°.
8 “The apriests° did not say°, ‘Where° is the LORD°?’ And those who handle° the law°bdid not know° Me; The Irulers° also transgressed° against Me, And the cprophets° prophesied° by Baal° And walked° after°dthings that did not profit°.

9 ¶ “Therefore° I will yet°acontend° with you,” declares° the LORD°, “And with your sons’° sons° I will contend°.
10 “For across° to the coastlands° of IKittim° and see°, And send° to bKedar° and observe° closely° And see° if° there has been° such [a thing] as this°!
11 “Has a nation° changed° gods° When athey were not gods°? But My people° have bchanged° their glory° For that which does not profit°.
12 “Be appalled°, aO heavens°, at this°, And shudder°, be very° desolate°,” declares° the LORD°.
13 “For My people° have committed° two° evils°: They have forsaken° Me, The afountain° of living° waters°, To hew° for themselves bcisterns°, Broken° cisterns° That can° hold° no° water°.

14 ¶ “Is Israel°aa slave°? Or° is he a homeborn°° servant? Why° has he become° a prey°?
15 “The young°alions° have roared° at him, They have Iroared°° loudly°°. And they have bmade° his land° a waste°; His cities° have been destroyed°, without° inhabitant°.
16 “Also° the Imen° of aMemphis° and Tahpanhes° Have IIshaved° the bcrown° of your head°.
17 “Have you not adone° this° to yourself By your forsaking° the LORD° your God° When° He aled° you in the way°?
18 “But now° what° are you doing aon the road° to Egypt°, To drink° the waters° of the IbNile°? Or what° are you doing on the road° to Assyria°, To drink° the waters° of the IIEuphrates°?
19 “aYour own wickedness° will correct° you, And your bapostasies° will reprove° you; Know° therefore and see° that it is evil° and cbitter° For you to forsake° the LORD° your God°, And dthe dread° of Me is not in you,” declares° the Lord°IGOD° of hosts°.

20 ¶ “For long° ago°IaI broke° your yoke° [And] tore° off° your bonds°; But you said°, ‘I will not serve°!’ For on every°bhigh° hill° And under° every° green° tree° You have lain° down° as a harlot°.
21 “Yet I aplanted° you a choice° vine°, A completely° faithful° seed°. How° then have you turned° yourself before Me Into the bdegenerate° shoots of a foreign° vine°?
22 “Although°° you awash° yourself with lye° And Iuse° much° soap°, The bstain° of your iniquity° is before° Me,” declares° the Lord°IIGOD°.
23 “aHow° can you say°, ‘I am not defiled°, I have not gone° after° the bBaals°’? Look° at your way° in the cvalley°! Know° what° you have done°! You are a swift° young° camel°dentangling° her ways°,
24 A awild° donkey° accustomed° to the wilderness°, That sniffs° the wind° in her passion°°. In [the time of] her Iheat° who° can turn° her away°? All° who seek° her will not become° weary°; In her month° they will find° her.
25 “Keep° your feet° from being unshod° And your throat° from thirst°; But you said°, ‘aIt is Ihopeless°! No°! For I have bloved° strangers°, And after° them I will walk°.’

26 ¶ “As the athief° is shamed° when° he is discovered°, So° the house° of Israel° is shamed°; They, their kings°, their princes° And their priests° and their prophets°,
27 Who say° to a tree°, ‘You are my father°,’ And to a stone°, ‘You gave° me birth°.’ For they have turned° [their] aback° to Me, And not [their] face°; But in the btime° of their Itrouble° they will say°, ‘Arise° and save° us.’
28 “But where° are your agods° Which° you made° for yourself? Let them arise°, if° they can bsave° you In the time° of your Itrouble°; For c[according to] the number° of your cities° Are your gods°, O Judah°.

29 ¶ “Why° do you contend° with Me? You have aall° transgressed° against Me,” declares° the LORD°.
30 “aIn vain° I have struck° your sons°; They accepted° no° chastening°. Your bsword° has devoured° your prophets° Like a destroying° lion°.
31 “O generation°, heed° the word° of the LORD°. Have I been° a wilderness° to Israel°, Or° a aland° of thick° darkness°? Why° do My people° say°, ‘bWe [are free to] roam°; We will no° longer° come° to You’?
32 “Can a virgin° forget° her ornaments°, Or a bride° her attire°? Yet My people° have aforgotten° Me Days° without° number°.
33 “How° well° you prepare° your way° To seek° love°! Therefore° even°Ithe wicked° women° You have taught° your ways°.
34 “Also° on your skirts° is found° The alifeblood°° of the innocent° poor°; You did not find° them bbreaking° in. But in spite° of all° these° things°,
35 Yet you said°, ‘I am innocent°; Surely° His anger° is turned° away° from me.’ Behold°, I will aenter° into judgment° with you Because° you bsay°, ‘I have not sinned°.’
36 “Why° do you ago° around so° much° Changing° your way°? Also°, byou will be put° to shame° by Egypt° As you were put° to shame° by cAssyria°.
37 “From this° [place] also° you will go° out With ayour hands° on your head°; For the LORD° has rejected°bthose in whom° you trust°, And you will not prosper° with them.”

God, having shewed his former kindness, expostulateth with the Jews their causeless revolt,

1 ¶ Moreover the wordº of the LORDº came² to² me, saying,ºª2 Goºª and cryºª in the earsº of Jerusalem,º saying,ºª Thus² saithºª the LORD;º I rememberºª thee, the kindnessº of thy youth,º the loveº of thine espousals,º when thou wentest¹ª² afterº me in the wilderness,º in a landº [that was] not² sown.ºª3 Israelº [was] holinessº unto the LORD,º [and] the firstfruitsº of his increase:º all² that devourºª him shall offend;ºª evilº shall comeºª upon² them, saithºª the LORD.º4 Hearºª ye the wordº of the LORD,º O houseº of Jacob,º and all² the familiesº of the houseº of Israel:º

5 ¶ Thus² saithºª the LORD,º What² iniquityº have your fathersº foundºª in me, that² they are gone farºª from²² me, and have walked¹ª² afterº vanity,º and are become vain?ºª6 Neither² saidºª they, Where² [is] the LORDº that brought us upºª² out of the landº² of Egypt,º that led¹ª² us through the wilderness,º through a landº of desertsº and of pits,º through a landº of drought,º and of the shadow of death,º through a landº that no² manº passed through,ºª and where² no² manº dwelt?ºª7 And I broughtºª you into² a plentifulº country,º to eatºª the fruitº thereof and the goodnessº thereof; but when ye entered,ºª ye defiledºª² my land,º and madeºª mine heritageº an abomination.º8 The priestsº saidºª not,² Where² [is] the LORD?º and they that handleºª the lawº knewºª me not:² the pastorsºª also transgressedºª against me, and the prophetsº prophesiedºª by Baal,º and walkedºª afterº [things that] do not² profit.ºª

They are the causes of their own calamities.

14 ¶ [Is] Israelº a servant?º [is] he² a homebornºº [slave]? whyº is² he spoiled?º15 The young lionsº roaredºª upon² him, [and] yelled,ººª and they madeºª his landº waste:º his citiesº are burnedºª without²² inhabitant.ºª16 Also² the childrenº of Nophº and Tahapanesº have brokenºª the crown of thy head.º17 Hast thou not² procuredºª this² unto thyself, in that thou hast forsakenºª² the LORDº thy God,º whenº he led¹ª² thee by the way?º18 And now² what² hast thou to do in the wayº of Egypt,º to drinkºª the watersº of Sihor?º or what² hast thou to do in the wayº of Assyria,º to drinkºª the watersº of the river?º19 Thine own wickednessº shall correctºª thee, and thy backslidingsº shall reproveºª thee: knowºª therefore and seeºª that² [it is] an evilº [thing] and bitter,º that thou hast forsakenºª² the LORDº thy God,º and that my fearº [is] not² in² thee, saithºª the Lordº GODº of hosts.º

The sins of Judah.

20 ¶ For² of old timeº² I have brokenºª thy yoke,º [and] burstºª thy bands;º and thou saidst,ºª I will not² transgress;ºªª¹ when² upon² every² highº hillº and under² every² greenº treeº thou² wanderest,ºª playing the harlot.ºª21 Yet I² had plantedºª thee a noble vine,º wholly² a rightº seed:º how² then art thou turnedºª into the degenerate² plant¹ of a strangeº vineº unto me? 22 For² though² thou washºª thee with nitre,º and take thee muchºª soap,º [yet] thine iniquityº is markedºª beforeº me, saithºª the Lordº GOD.º23 How² canst thou say,ºª I am not² polluted,ºª I have not² goneºª afterº Baalim?º seeºª thy wayº in the valley,º knowºª what² thou hast done:ºª [thou art] a swiftº dromedaryº traversingºª her ways;º24 A wild assº usedº to the wilderness,º [that] snuffeth upºª the windº at her pleasure;ºº in her occasionº who² can turn her away?ºª all² they that seekºª her will not² wearyºª themselves; in her monthº they shall findºª her. 25 Withholdºª thy footº from being unshod,º² and thy throatº from thirst:º² but thou saidst,ºª There is no hope:ºª no;² for² I have lovedºª strangers,ºª and afterº them will I go.¹ª²26 As the thiefº is ashamedº when² he is found,ºª so² is the houseº of Israelº ashamed;¹ª² they,² their kings,º their princes,º and their priests,º and their prophets,º27 Sayingºª to a stock,º Thou² [art] my father;º and to a stone,º Thou² hast brought me forth:ºª for² they have turnedºª [their] backº unto² me, and not² [their] face:º but in the timeº of their troubleº they will say,ºª Arise,ºª and saveºª us. 28 But where² [are] thy godsº that² thou hast madeºª thee? let them arise,ºª if² they can saveºª thee in the timeº of thy trouble:º for² [according to] the numberº of thy citiesº are² thy gods,º O Judah.º29 Wherefore² will ye pleadºª with² me? ye all² have transgressedºª against me, saithºª the LORD.º30 In vainº have I smittenºª² your children;º they receivedºª no² correction:º your own swordº hath devouredºª your prophets,º like a destroyingºª lion.º